@gabrielm
My next test is the hormone progesterone, and asking about ovarian cysts.

I have been experiencing the same exact struggle for oxygen for about 6 months now. It’s driving me crazy and I can’t deal with it for much longer. I ended up in the ER last week because I felt like I was ready to pass out. The pulmonologist ran tests and everything was normal. Ekg is normal. I even had a chest X-ray and nothing abnormal. Blood tests just reveal high cholesterol so now I’m thinking it’s my heart but why would that cause such shortness of breath? I’m yawning all the time to try and satisfy this hunger for air because normal breaths aren’t working. I wish I had the cure. I’ll start taking iron supplements and fish oil. I will even take B12. I’m so desperate for answers because this feels so debilitating

Hi Gabe,
I just had to reach out to you as my story might be very similar to yours.
I have been suffering from the inability to take a deep satisfying breath, on and off, since 2000. Like you I have been through a barrage of test, and my lung functions (at least at that time) were all normal. Yet, on most days, I feel like I am breathing through a sponge that's lodged in my throat, and am forced to take a deep breath every 7 or 8th breath. However, that satisfaction of that deep breath seems to just stop at 80% and I feel like I am starved for oxygen. Now, the most paradoxical thing is, I have ran marathons, and even an Ironman, and these symptoms have never really prevented me from training, and or racing hard. In fact, the opposite seemed to be true, and my breathing would actually improve, even after hard and long races. For a while there, there was a decent stretch of years, where I thought I have beat my breathing issue, as it felt like it was completely gone. It's also worth noting that I was continually running at that time (5-6) days of training a week year after year. Fast forward to 2019 and my 1st and only bout with Covid, it felt like the breathing issue arose again, and It is now back. Like you have mentioned in your initial statement, there is no rhyme or reason when it shows up. It can be high humidity, or low, cold or a hot day, rain or drought. On some days I can breath just fine, and on others (like today) I am suffering. I feel like I am fighting to breath, though if I were to measure my oxygen saturation, I am almost certain I would be close to 100%. I am at a complete loss, and am now at the point where I feel like I need go see a pulmonologist again. I always wonder if the test they performed on my 20 years ago, were just not as sensitive of the tests they may have currently. I guess I'll find out soon here. On the flip side, I am also concerned that if they do find something and are unable to fix it, that I'll be in a worse situation due to added stress of knowing what it is, but being unable to do anything against it. Oy vey... these double edge swords aren't fun. Anywho... while I await my appt, I am going to try the breathing exercise you have mentioned. I feel like I have done that already unknowing that it was an actual thing, but I do feel like it helped. Though I no longer run, I do play pickleball almost daily 4-5 hours a day. And when I say play, I play hard and active. When I am in it, my breathing, just like with running, doesn't really have any negative effects. I still feel like I need that deep satisfying breath here and there, but even if I don't get it, I am still okay to play, if that makes any sense. Needless to say...this is all so very frustrating.